Ball launching mechanisms or ejectors have been used for practicing many sports, including baseball, softball, volleyball, tennis, and soccer. For example, a volleyball launcher is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,482 by Bill Butler, Jr. The volleyball launcher includes a housing, a ball cradle, a lift rod, a cross bar and two propelling arms. The propelling arms are actuated by a stored energy mechanism. Movement of the propelling arms generates a launch impulse from a lift rod which propels a volleyball upwards.
A ball tossing device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,876 by Joseph P. Sejnowski. The ball tossing device includes a base and a tossing mechanism. The tossing mechanism includes a foot pedal for manual operation and a remote release pedal for remote operation. The tossing mechanism also includes a launching tube, a launching member, a timer, and a batting tee. Depression of either pedal compresses a spring and retracts the launching member downwardly from the launching tube. Again depressing the same pedal causes the launching member to rapidly move upwardly, engaging a ball positioned in the launching tube, and tossing the ball.
A machine for practicing baseball batting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,872 by Chien-Wen Kao and Yao-Hui Tang. The practicing machine includes a base and a popping device. The popping device includes a loading stand, a suspending stand, an accommodating chamber, a pressure cylinder, and a spring. The pressure cylinder and the spring are disposed within the loading stand. The accommodating chamber is disposed above the loading stand. The suspending stand supports the pressure cylinder. A baseball positioned in the accommodating chamber is launched vertically by actuation of the pressure cylinder and the spring.
The prior-art ball launching mechanism are relatively complicated in design, expensive to manufacture, and not easily transportable or usable. There is a need for a ball launching device that is economical to manufacture, portable, and easy to use.